5 ms·
What really grinds my gears is the frequency with which cyclists are legally forced onto the roadway in a high-traffic area, when there is a perfectly good side
by excalibur 9y ago
What really grinds my gears is the frequency with which cyclists are legally forced onto the roadway in a high-traffic area, when there is a perfectly good sidewalk available.
Just assume that Bob is going to have an accident on his bike today. Would you rather see him struck by a car and become a likely fatality, or see him hit a pedestrian and cause a few scrapes and bruises? Why would you unnecessarily force people into a potentially deadly situation for the crime of riding a bicycle?
- notauser 9y agoSidewalks aren't flat, and they don't have priority at junctions. This makes them unsuitable for commuting or serious cycling. To make it a viable form of personal transport it's better to keep cyclists on the roads.
- tehwebguy 9y agoThis is ridiculous. Sidewalks are not thoroughfares - cyclists on the sidewalk put themselves in grave danger at virtually every intersection.
- Filligree 9y agoWithout commenting on whether or not it's legal, if you're cycling in the sidewalk then you should at least attempt to act like a pedestrian. This means waiting for a walk light at the crossing, and not cycling into the road at above a walking pace even if it happens to already be green. This is just common sense, really.
- tehwebguy 9y agoIntersections include more than just those with traffic lights.
- astrodust 9y agoIt is outright illegal to cycle on a sidewalk in many places. Here if you have a wheel diameter more than a foot you can't use the sidewalk. That exception is intended to allow little kids to use the sidewalk without issue. It's also extremely uncommon for cyclists to hit pedestrians, and even more uncommon for those collisions to lead to a fatality. There's just not enough kinetic energy involved. Joggers are nearly as likely to bowl someone over and kill them.
- convolvatron 9y agoif the goal is making more livable and efficient cities, please don't start by taking it out on the pedestrians. 'unlikely to get killed' is kind of downgrade from 'able to carry my groceries home without fear'
- astrodust 9y agoPedestrians bitch about a small, aggressive subset of cyclists, typically couriers, but get killed by cars. Take your pick. If you're scared of bicycles maybe you should stay indoors. There's things like squirrels and pigeons out there that might attack you.
- convolvatron 9y agoI've walked cities for decades. I know how to deal with cars. someone jumping in front of me at speed screaming at me to get out of the way for being on the sidewalk every day - not so much
- oxryly1 9y agoCycling on a sidewalk is punishable by 6 months (!!!) in jail in my city.
- m3rc 9y agoSidewalks are not bike lanes, and are not appropriate for biking on.
- Filligree 9y agoThey're not, but sometimes there are no bike lanes and cycling in the roads looks dangerous. What am I supposed to do? Well, I'm a bit split between getting off the bike (and walking next to it), or cycling at a walking pace (and taking up less space). Depends on the situation, really.